Civil Music

Look at electronic music around you. Thanks to the unrelenting evolution of bass music and the similar development of its drunken, off kilter hip-hop cousin, we’re now living in an era where artists, deejays and producers have looked genre separation in the eye, and defiantly told it to beat it.

Hey, it’s not a bad thing. dEbruit – who hails from France but now resides right here in sunny London – is a bold addition … Read more...

Rhymesayers

One is a Philadelphia born rapper, whose distinctive voice and infectious flow saw him rise to prominence in the early noughties through prestigious Roc-A-Fella Records, dropping such classics as the HUGE Just Blaze produced ‘What We Do’ featuring Jigga and fellow State Property front man Beanie Sigel. The other, a producer from Seattle whose consistent succession of dope beat making skills has earned him notoriety as one of the hip-hop game’s most sought after producers. … Read more...

Hiero Imperium

On a freezing winter’s night, a queue of shivering heads snaked along a London street and right round the corner. Those at the front clamoured for entry into the clothing store, which was already packed full of punters on the hunt for free beer. This party was a hot ticket alright, and for good reason. It was Oakland crew Souls of Mischief’s only appearance in the capital on their European tour to promote their new … Read more...

fabric

Two of contemporary deebee’s intelligent spinsters re-ignite an era of musicality within the ethos of ‘Autonomic’ - by championing music that sounds nothing like standard club d’n’b at all. As a piece of beautifully crafted mixing and futuristic productions, it works perfectly, demanding a second inquisitive listen. 

Both concept album and obscure compilation (mostly Exit records and Instra:mental’s Nonplus+ recordings) offering ’music’ from Alex Perez, Riya and Vaccine among others, it also features specially penned … Read more...

fabric

This first compilation under the ironic moniker of ‘Elevator Music Volume 1’, from the gurus at fabric, has sought to give us the Farringdon club’s electronic weather forecast of 2010. We get club-circuit and radio-played veterans like Untold, Starkey and Om Unit flirting with new upstarts including XXXY, Hot City and Julio Bashmore. Hot City and XXXY kick things off with their not so subtle dedications to early house music, conjuring images of evening car drives … Read more...

Domino

While Four Tet has long been close to the forefront of electronic music, a lot has happened since Kieran Hebden last released a full length under this name. The birth and rising popularity of dubstep has inspired other styles old and new, bleeding its way from underground clubs into the fringes of popular culture. The UK, in particular, seems to be alive with innovation and enthusiasm. Electronic music has never felt more exciting, and while … Read more...

Doomtree Records

The Doomtree machine keeps churning them out. Not content with 'False Hopes XV' slaying the speakers over the Christmas period, the Minnesotan collective have given Dessa the spotlight for her debut album 'A Badly Broken Code' and boy, oh boy, she doesn't disappoint. Showcasing both her innate ability to rock the mic on a straight up rapping steez and then switching up the styles to deliver some beautifully constructed harmonies, the former spoken-word vocalist delivers … Read more...