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Music News

DEVO release fresh merch for Xmas

We think that getting someone some DEVO garb for Christmas would instantly make you the raddest person ever. So if you’re related or mates with a DEVO fan (if not, why not? make it happen.) then have a look at the awesome goodies that are now available to buy from the band’s official online store.

We’ve got our eyes on those energy dome headphones that you can see amongst the other treats below which are reportedly designed specifically to charge your brain with orgone energy as you jam out.

Head over to the online store by following this link and for more DEVO goodness check out the three-part video interview we conducted with frontman Mark Mothersbaugh earlier this year by clicking here.

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Album Reviews Buzz Chart Reviews

Submerse

Submerse
Gundam EP
Maltine Records

Over the past few years, 2-step and garage have came back in a big way. As what the mainstream considered to be dubstep wobbled off in the direction of stadium sized speakers and producers with stadium sized egos, the underground club and pirate radio scenes found solace in an increasing amount of producers who favoured a little swing, a little shuffle, a little atmosphere and lots of processed vocals. Though the change in sonic climate was arguably slight, it gave birth to a wealth of forward-thinking electronica with personality to match. Amongst them, Submerse began crafting a sound that carried influences ranging from the obvious (Burial, Todd Edwards, Wookie) to the not so obvious (Bjork, Ayumi Hamasaki, M83, Tenmon) leading him to not only become one of the most prolific producers in the UK this year, but easily one of the most innovative and original producers in an absolutely massive cloud of sound.

He concludes an overwhelming year of making mixes for everyone (including us!), playing shows and spearheading an eastern take on 2-step (that he dubs J-Garage) with a five track EP that could well be the inaugural release for a genuinely exciting sub-genre to emerge in recent years. Appropriately released on the Japanese net label Maltine Records, Gundam is a bipolar mecha-cum-human slice of inward looking otaku-step. The title track picks up where another popular track Mecha left off, with a pulsating hook led boldly with a 4-to-the-floor beat, adding yet another layer of expertise to an already impressive resumé. The EP exclusive Kashoku takes a down-tempo route through an Okinawan blend of afrobeat, lounge and dub served alongside the producer’s own recipe for swiftly recoiling beats. Even with bias-inducing samples from one of my favourite films (Makoto Shinkai’s fittingly slow-paced and atmospheric 5cm Per Second), the song is not defined by intertextual references as many tracks tend to do, but by the music that really does speak for itself.

The EP continues with what could be my favourite track of the decade so far, OVA. At once uplifting and melancholic, OVA sees wonderful piano melodies and strings paired gorgeously with an expertly recontextualised Morning Musume acapella and the usual 2-step perfection. Passion is driven by clicks, hat hits and classic Todd Edwards-esque vocal weaving, before the EP concludes with Full Metal: a seminal rework of Yui’s Again that helped pave the way for J-Garage to become less of a 4am bedroom experiment and rather something of a full blown dance music movement.

The Gundam EP is Submerse’s most personal and accomplished release to date, leading the way to an optimistic and thoughtful area of music my own otaku tendencies and music taste always wished for. I have been saying for ages that if Submerse released an EP it would be my record of the year. Guess what? It is.

Stanley

You can download the EP for free now from Maltine Records.

Gundam (Maltine Records) by submerse

OVA (Maltine Records) by submerse

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Free Downloads

Free Downloads: 26/11/10

It must be the holiday spirit or something, but artists, bands and producers have been even more generous than usual and our inboxes have been overflowing with all sorts of tuneage in a variety of tempos and styles. Here are our ten picks from yet another two weeks of quality music.

The undisputed king of mash-ups and party mixtapes, Girl Talk released his latest collection of nostalgia meets college party meets weird meets brilliant beats online for free and if you haven’t already picked it up then you’ll find it all below. Daft Punk’s Tron OST is currently doing the rounds on the leaky pipes of the web to a mixed reception but if you didn’t catch their collaboration with N.E.R.D. then check out Nero’s remix if beats float your boat more than synths and strings. Shy FX get taken apart from one of the year’s biggest beatmakers Breakage as this weekend turns into a guaranteed party.

Pow 2011 is causing another forward riddim stir in London and Wiley’s meme-spawning ‘bududududada’ bars over the beat makes one of the most addictive dubplates of the year, get it! Crossfader subject Submerse keeps on going from strength to strength and his remix of Wolf Gang’sLion In Cages‘ sees blogs on a hype for his forthcoming releases. X-Ray Spex’s frontwoman Poly-Styrene makes a welcome return to our speakers with ‘Black Christmas‘. Crystal Castles made one of the most press-worthy collaborations of the year, dragging in Robert Smith for ‘Not In Love‘.

If you thought Jay-Z’s 99 Problems couldn’t be remixed any more then you were very wrong; Liam Howlet takes a simple but effective rework route for this banging Prodigy remix. New York three piece fun. live up to their name again with an acoustic version of their buzzing ‘Walking The Dog’. And last but not least, the hottest female to come out of Wales since… we can remember, Marina and the Diamonds gets a hypegenre workout courtesy of the ungoogleable but absolutely listenable oOoOO.

Go and get them.

N.E.R.D. & Daft Punk – Hypnotize U (Nero Remix) by Crossfire Music

Wiley – Mz Bratt Pow 2011 Dubplate by Crossfire Music

Wolf Gang – Lions In Cages (Submerse Remix) by Crossfire Music

Poly Styrene – Black Christmas by Crossfire Music

Shy FX – Raver (Breakage Remix) by Crossfire Music

Crystal Castles “Not In Love” (ftrg. Robert Smith) by moderntonic.com

fun. ‘Walking The Dog (Acoustic)’ by Hassle Records

Jay-Z – 99 Problems (The Prodigy Remix) by Hypetrak

Marina and the Diamonds – Obsessions (oOoOO Remix) by Hypetrak

Girl Talk – All Day by Hypetrak

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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 News

Funeral For A Friend announce UK dates

Funeral For A Friend have announced that they will be playing a series of intimate venues in the spring of next year as they hit the road with Rise To Remain.

The tour will be in support of their as yet untitled forthcoming album which is due in March 2011. Peep the dates below and scroll down a little further to watch the fantastic video for Serpents of Solitude which surfaced recently.

16th March – Aberystwyth, Arts Centre
17th March – Buckley, Tivoli
18th March – Penrith, Penrith Leisure Centre
19th March – Edinburgh, Bongo Club
20th March – Glasgow, King Tuts
22nd March – Bury St Edmonds, Apex
23rd March – Birmingham, Academy 2
24th March – Manchester, Academy 3
25th March – London, Relentless Garage
27th March – Liverpool, 02 Academy
28th March – Stoke, Sugarmill
29th March – Wakefield, Black Flag
30th March – Durham, Live Lounge
1st April – Poole, Chords
2nd April – Saltash, Livewire
3rd April – Wycombe, Academy

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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!

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Music News

Watch: The worst band in the world ever!

If Crossfire was a record company we would sign this band tomorrow. Fucking awesome!