Kode 9’s illustrious label is one of the first mentioned when anyone talks about releases within Bassy electronic music. Since April 2004, Hyperdub has featured some of the scene’s freshest artists from the enigmatic Burial to funkstep queen, Cooly G. Over 30 releases and 5 years later, and they’ve released a compilation 2 CD pack to mark the occasion. A mixture of those tracks known to many an ear, and exclusives shedding light on the future of the label, make this a necessary purchase.

Featuring exclusive ish….

And then….

Words by Intoccabile

Montreal's Grime scene is young, healthy and vibrant. It is possible to hear DJs playing the genre in quite a few nights - Forward music at the Passeport, Apocalyptica's Freedembass night at the Blizzarts, E.S.L. Crew's night at the Blizzarts, spring to mind.

A few key individuals - Jaz Nasty and Intoccabile being two of them - have been pushing the sound as early as 2004 and continue to do so today.

Intoccabile and Jaz Nasty have been pushing the Grime sound in Montreal since the very beginning.

 

Regarding our local artists, I believe it is important to establish a firm distinction between those who were or are influenced by the Grime aesthetic but who are not strictly Grime artists or DJs (Omnikrom, Ghislain Poirier, DJ Inyourface, and internationally renowned performer Taxi Nouveau, among many others) and the Grime purists (Intoccabile, Jaz Nasty, Ghost, Kadryn, and many more).

Taxi Nouveau is mostly known for his chip music performances – but his sound can be quite grimey at times.

Why oh why did it take so long for Grime to blow up in Montreal?! Let us go back in time and consider how Grime was received in the urban and Electronic Dance Music (EDM) scenes. Perhaps this will help shed some light on this mystery. It has to be said: Montreal's local urban scene did not initially get Grime. At all! To put it bluntly, it sounded too electronic - an insult, in the mouth of an urban music lover at the time - too much like the kind of music the typical urban music fan did not want to hear! Fans of EDM on the other hand understood Grime almost immediately and certainly appreciated the novelty of it – but a great portion of these same fans were put off by the sheer aggressiveness, tone, and dark lyrical content of the MCs, which does tend to be typical to urban music. Grime was in an awkward position. It was too electronic and not black enough for one scene and too black, too ‘shouty’, too lyrically dark for the other scene who did appreciate the raw, quirky and uncompromising aesthetic. This problematic initial response by both scenes had consequences that lasted for years

In terms of labels and releases, Fyutchaflex Recordings, run by Intoccabile, is still - after all those years - the only local Grime label. There are quite a few Grime producers, but to be honest it will take some time for the quality of Montreal's output to be comparable to what is being done in other cities and states in North America – Toronto, New York and San Francisco, for example.

Grime MCs in Montreal come from very different horizons: Hip-Hop, Soca, Drum & Bass, Dancehall, R&B, etc. Language wise, they often use the local slang, which is a combination of French, English, Jamaican Patois and Haitian Creole.

The future looks bright for Montreal's Grime scene. Thanks to Clovys TV, SB.TV (Smokey Bars) and Intoccabile, Grime videos and documentaries will be broadcast in high definition on television. There seems to be more interest than ever in Grime and the end of 2009 should be interesting in terms of events.

some Basement Jaxx!

Heard the Brixton pair, Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe, being interviewed on Annie Mac’s show the other week and while I was impressed by their seemingly likeable personalities, I also remembered how uplifting Jaxx tunes are. They also seem to have a particular talent for picking the right vocalist, not necessarily who’s a chart favourite at the time. Admittedly, I don’t post much House on here usually, and to be honest my knowledge is basic! But it is brilliant dance music, and if I need an excuse - Chipmunk has just featured on a new track of theirs, so there!

One of my favourite old ones is Good Luck, which features some wicked vocals from Lisa Kekaula of the Bellrays. It’s one of those great ‘feel good’ tracks, with lyrics anyone could to relate in some way, and a great sunny House beat, which is surprising considered it was released in a January (2004)!!

 

On their new album ‘Scars’ (released on Thursday), they’ve gone for a very different vibe, much darker, and actually quite unusual in some places. Most definitely not your typical Jaxx party sound. Perhaps in their age they feel a slow down is necessary….but I think that would be ignorant to say. I personally think the quality is still at a great level, and a lot of the tracks still capture one’s imagination for the duration, they just don’t lodge themselves in your brain in the same viral way tunes like “Where’s your Head at?” and “Do your Thang” did. One of my favourites however is the title track ‘Scars’, featuring Kelis, Meleka, and Chipmunk. It is more electric sounding and has that darker vibe I mentioned. While the vocal style is quite unexpected, I think Kelis and Meleka’s intriguing voices work well, and Chipmunk actually sounds a lot more mature on this than some of the other mush he’s been churning out. Addictive. Look forward to a video hopefully.

 

He needs no introduction. Some say his first par took place 30 seconds after he was born. Some say he has boyed off most tings. And some say he always has a baseball bat tucked in his sock. Whatever the truth, he did damage at Tube last Thursday.

DJ Neek firing rounds out

Get your Mac10 fingers out

The man himself

 

This mixtape will be destructive.

I am pretty damn pleased about this! My first piece published, and definitely not intending it to be the last either. ATM, originally a national D&B magazine, has just shifted into the editorial hands of Mr Jon Ethics. This is the first issue with Jon as editor, and it is looking sharp! Featuring an interview with the infamous Dizzee Rascal, and LOTS of the latest info from the worlds of D&B, Dubstep, Hip-Hop and more; enough to savour your appetites. AND, it has my name printed in it, so if anything, it is a long term investment **grins**. Scroll down to read the review.

“For 15 years, Rinse FM has been at the forefront of UK urban music. Originally a pirate station showcasing Jungle, then onto Garage and now the next generation of genres: Grime, Dubstep, Funky and the branches in between. Rinse has consistently provided a showcase for everything new and exciting about this music, and since developing from a single transmitter on a roof-top in East London to an internet station in 2006, acclaim has poured in from the growing number of this music’s fans beyond London and the UK. Rinse has attracted listeners who wouldn’t usually indulge in the unknowingness of ‘pirate radio’, and introduced them to an inspiring hidden community, that seems to no longer desire to be quite so hidden.

What more proof of this could you need than the turn out for Rinse’s 15th Birthday Party, a link up with FWD>> at Matter, at the end of July? With a line-up representing the cream of UK underground sounds, everyone who’s ever enjoyed Rinse was catered for and seemed to be in attendance. The soundtrack for the 2,600 ravers inside at the start of the night was provided by the Grime DJs, Vectra and Silencer in the main room. Walking straight into the quickly-filling arena of all sorts of enthusiasts rushing to rave to Tempz made for an explosive entrance. The danceability of raw grime beats was proven, with people just as excited as beats like ‘Cha’ as at P-Money’s vocal of 1-Up. A mass 180° turn from the crowd an hour later, and Newham Generals appeared on the stage, where they performed tracks from their latest release ‘Generally Speaking’. Personally, I would’ve preferred for them to do a more set style performance, but D Double is such a powerful MC, it’s always exciting seeing them perform.

Scratcha (DVA) and Crazy Cousins came through with the Funky for the night. The most recent addition to genres played on the station, Funky’s popularity has shot through the roof within the last year. Bringing together the friendlier side of Grime fans and those who spot the Garage vibe similarities, it always gets a warm reception. Boy Better Know got the biggest reaction of the night though, as you’d probably expect. The energy was intense, and movement was limited for those of us straining to get a better view. But the atmosphere peaked at this point and with a PA of ‘Too Many Man’ thrown in, the set was one of the most entertaining of the night. Especially with Jammer bounding round in a half-unbuttoned purple silk shirt, then attempting to crowd dive…unsuccessfully! However the set that shone the brightest for me was Slimzee, with MC B-Live hosting. Two complete Rinse/Grime legends that were a must at this party, especially as Slimzee infamously took an ASBO for representing Rinse. And they didn’t disappoint, passionately delivering a set of the tunes that were perfect for this occasion.

At a night like this, you’re always going to miss some sets – and that’s why i can’t comment on Plastician and Magnetic Man. But for me, I admit it was a garage/grime night, and I wasn’t disappointed. Everything about this night represented all that Rinse FM has worked for – the community feeling, the old and new talent, the vibes and realness – but done on a massive scale.”

 

 

 

 

And if you missed it the this time, you better hop on down on the 20th November. They have managed to secure a residency at Matter, and so we can do this all again!

DUBSTEP + GRIME + FUNKY

SKREAM + BENGA 2hr set
BOY BETTER KNOW
HEARTLESS CREW
GEENEUS
WILEY
ZINC
GHETTO
N-TYPE
CRAZY COUSINZ + MC VERSATILE
KATY B
SPYRO
YOUNGSTA
HEADHUNTER
ONEMAN
RAMADANMAN
SUPA D
DISTANCE
BROCKIE (Jungle set)
COOLY G
FLOATING POINTS
CRAZY D
TIPPA
STAMINA

Advance tickets:
http://www.matterlondon.com/calendar/2009/11/
Info
thelinkup@rinse.fm

:)

P Money draws for the grocery bars in the second half of this video, clever, witty, and sick all at the same time.

“If I go back to the yard for the fruit bowl, grapes are gonna fly like British Airways!”

 

 

Other pirate radio stations have given us memorable times: Deja, Freeze, Delight etc. Masses of rewinds, studios stormed, beef for days, and just generally sets for us to listen to 4/5 years later in the comfort of your own home and feel emotional.  However, in terms of scale, growth, and quality, Rinse FM is the boss. Fifteen years of billing the biggest DJs (or to be biggest), on the roster has provided a showcase of everything exciting about Garage, Grime, Dubstep, more recently Funky, and all the branches in between. It is a solid establishment for UK underground music, and since they developed from a transmitter on a roof in East London (where it can still be unwittingly picked up – can’t be helped if your Volvo prefers Scratcha to Terry Wogan!), to an internet station in 2006, acclaim has come from the growing number of international fans of the music as well. It has attracted listeners who wouldn’t usually indulge in the unknowingness of  ‘pirate radio’, and introduced them to an inspiring hidden community where you feel they do want to reach out to different people, and definitely don’t want to hide themselves away.

After all this, the 15th birthday bash could only feature Rinse superstars in a superstar venue. I haven’t been to Matter before, but it looks wicked, and has a capacity of over 2000 so it’s gonna be a ‘death-by-hype’ kind of night. Teaming up with FWD, long standing family with Rinse, you can expect nothing done by halves, a complete celebration of the great representation of UK music they have become. Can’t wait!

Check the Rinse FM website for video interviews with the station’s family, and free tracks in the run up to the Birthday party; including Skream – Calous, and Scratcha/DVA’s Kill All A’ Dem VIP mix. Bangers!

First of all, I’m not always a fan of those Dubstep/D&B clashes but I heard this on Annie Mac’s show on Friday and I actually like it.

The guitar is quite powerful, but I think it gels really well, and doesn’t ruin the vibes of the original vocal. I swear someone’s going to make me feel guilty for liking this…and for listening to Annie Mac, but commercial doesn’t always mean bad, as much as it doesn’t always mean good. I am so the type of person who likes Mash Up shows too, just throw it all in kind of thing. Niiice.

Oh and also….Crazy Cousins did a mini mix on her show on Friday as well. Check it out.

 

To my International Crew….

United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Belgium, Austria, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Finland, Iceland, Japan, Portugal, Denmark, New Zealand, Croatia, Ireland, Italy, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Norway, Switzerland, Thailand, Argentina, Israel, Indonesia, Republic of Moldova, Sweden, Hungary, Venezuela, Unknown, Netherlands Antilles, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Brazil, Romania. (From my stats info)

HEY GUYS!

Making me feel guilty and ting for not updating enough. Apologies.

But anyone who visits my blog, and wants to contact me, feel free to…. aych_onahype@hotmail.com

I really like hearing what people think, and about the music scenes in the different countries, so get at me!

I know the British weather can be, temperamental at the least. And I understand this could cause major confusion when dressing. But that is no excuse for this.

 

If you’re going to get your feet out, don’t be afraid to get your ankles out too!

 

Now download this SubFM Summer Party set featuring most of them.