Author: Crossfire

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Album Reviews Buzz Chart Reviews

Shy FX

Raver
Digital Soundboy

Shy FX is a legend, pure and simple. Having driven the D&B and Jungle scenes for years, he still remains as important and fresh as he ever was and with this new single, out on December 6th, he’s dropped another golden banger. Enlisting the vocal talents of Kano, Donae’o and Roses Gabor, the chorus line of “When I was a yout I used to blow my horn like a raver” immediately grabs you by the scruff of the neck and demands you shock out as the drums spins all around.

With four remixes on the release, there really is something for everyone. MJ Cole comes in with a hugely fuzzy bassline, Benny Page‘s “dancefloor remix” serves up a serious slab of instant D&B and Shy himself provides a “Guinness Punch remix” which concentrates on bringing some vibed out dub to the plate, showing the producer’s versatility with consummate ease.

The stand-out remix on the release however comes from Breakage, who has had one hell of a year with his Foundation album. His “Pattern Moschino remix” combines reverbed vocal hooks with an old school jungle beat which is a perfect example of everything a high-energy dancefloor banger should be.

Shy and his label have rubber-stamped another biggun. Get on it and check out the video to the original below and see how many cameos you can spot!

Abjekt.

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Album Reviews Buzz Chart Reviews

Starkey

Space Traitor – Vol. 1
Civil Music

Starkey is always difficult to define with his innovative mix of grime, dubstep, hip hop and everything inbetween and with his new EP, Space Traitor – Vol. 1, he doesn’t make it any easier. Not that this is a bad thing, as opening track Robot Hands slams its way into the ether with his trademark heavy duty bass interspersed with moments of calm before the storm.

Playing With Fire sees no let-up with a crashing drum introducing the track, laying the foundations for  the crescendo of sound that follows, combining skittering hi-hats and empowering synths. The almost Hitchcockian film-score like strings of Holodeck again bleed into a bassline that demands full attention before showing his ability to switch styles with the much more relaxed Paradise with Anneka, who appeared on his album Ear Drums And Black Holes of this year.

Starkey’s production ends with the almost Joker-esque Lenses before unleashing a torrent of remixes from the likes of Ital Tek, Rudi Zygadlo [with a brilliantly understated remix of Paradise] and Egyptrixx amongst others. Fans of Starkey will lap this up and certainly there are tracks on here that would have lifted his album to higher levels. As ever, he is fresh and worth space on anyone’s iPod.

Abjekt.

Space Traitor Vol 1 (preview) by starkey

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Music News

Bright Eyes announce new album details

Bright Eyes have announced the details of their new album.

Conor Oberst has revealed the album will be called The People’s Key and will be released on February 14th. The record was recorded in Omaha and the tracklisting is below. The band will also be playing Royal Albert Hall on June 23rd next year.

‘Firewall’
‘Shell Games’
‘Jejune Stars’
‘Approximate Sunlight’
‘Haile Selassie’
‘A Machine Spiritual (In The People’s Key)’
‘Triple Spiral’
‘Beginner’s Mind’
‘Ladder Song’
‘One For You, One For Me’

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Music News

Jamie XX to remix Gil Scott-Heron

Jamie XX will be remixing the latest Gil Scott-Heron album.

I’m New Here’s reworking will be released on February 21st on CD, vinyl, a vinyl box set and as a download. The tracklisting is below and you can sample the vibes with the video for the remix of NY Is Killing Me below.

‘I’m New Here’
‘Home’
‘I’ve Been Me (Interlude)’
‘Running’
‘My Cloud’
‘Certain Things (Interlude)’
‘The Crutch’
‘Ur Soul and Mine’
‘Parents (Interlude)’
‘Piano Player’
‘NY Is Killing Me’
‘Jazz (Interlude)’
‘I’ll Take Care Of U’

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Music News

Les Savy Fav announce UK tour

Les Savy Fav have announced details of a new UK tour.

The band will hit these shores in February and March and will also release new single Dirty Knails. The dates are:

February

22nd – London, Heaven
23rd – Cardiff, The Globe
24th – Manchester, MOHO
25th – Birmingham, Sound Bar
26th – Liverpool, The Kazimier
27th – Sheffield, Corporation.

March

1st – Aberdeen, The Tunnels
2nd – Newcastle, Cluny

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Album Of The Week Album Reviews Buzz Chart Reviews

Fantastic Mr Fox

Evelyn EP
Black Acre

Fantastic Mr Fox has had a hell of year, gaining praise across the board as well as getting know to a wider audience through touring with the XX. With his Sketches EP still delivering the goods, the Wolverhampton-born producer has released Evelyn, a four track EP that showcases a more bouncy sound, ramping up the tempo and sounding more like his Jackal Youth alter-ego than ever before.

Understated beats coarse throughout the four tracks, yet the chopped vocals of opening track Evelyn instantly draw you in alongside the woodblock percussion, kicking off the EP in perfect vibesy fashion. Fool Me starts with a much more laid back introduction before getting into its stride moving into the delightfully steppy Over, with its throbbing fuzz of bassline and R&B tinged vocal samples. Sepia Song, the strongest track on the release, brings everything to a close with Kimbie-esque synths and an almost tropic drum beat at the end.

With the current state of electronic music coming out of the UK gaining strength with every passing day, it would be easy to fall down the sides without being noticed. With this release however, Fantastic Mr Fox has marked himself out as a star to watch. 2011 is definitely his time.

Abjekt.

Fantastic Mr Fox – Evelyn EP by Black Acre Records

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Music Events Music News

The Specials announce UK dates

The Specials have announced some UK dates amongst a larger European tour in 2011.

The influential 2-tone act from Coventry will play the following dates:

September

11th – Civic Hall, Wolverhampton
12th – Civic Hall, Wolverhampton
14th – Apollo, Manchester
16th – Arena, Hull
18th – SECC, Glasgow
21st – Arena, Nottingham
23rd – Pavilion, Plymouth
24th – Centaur, Cheltenham
25th – Centre, Brighton
27th – International Centre, Bournemouth
28th – International Arena, Cardiff
29th – Ricoh Arena, Coventry

November

3rd – Alexandra Palace, London

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Music News

Tom Waits to publish book of poetry

Tom Waits will be publishing a book of poetry next year.

The gravel-voiced singer’s book will be called Hard Ground and is a collaboration with photographer Michael O’Brien whose pictures of the homeless will accompany Waits’ poems. The book is set for release in March 2011 through University of Texas press.

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Music News

Watch: Fashawn ‘Pass The Cohiba’

Fashawn put another new video online.

Pass The Cohiba is taken from his recent mixtape Grizzly City 3 and follow the Fresno MC as he has a little wander around. Kick back and get that head nodding. This one has vibes for days.

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Music News

Atmosphere release photography book

Atmosphere are releasing a book of photography from over the years.

Dan Monick, a close friend who has followed the group around for the past decade across the world has taken many photos from behind-the-scenes and the hardcover 272 page book shows these photos in all their glory.

Two versions are available – the standard edition features 272 page book, a 15 track Rhymesayers compilation CD and a deluxe edition features all that as well as an exclusive 10″ copy of To All My Friends, the first of the two new Atmosphere EPs. You can order yours from Fifth Element. One for the hardcore fans!