Showing posts with label roots manuva. Show all posts

The temptation to hibernate at winter is pretty strong but we're fighting the urge to spend our time indoors in the warmth, as that can soon get pretty gloomy when the lack of sun and social interaction kicks in alongside the Christmas shopping list. It's a good thing I did venture outside to scour the streets of Bristol for presents or I would never have bumped into local tune pusher DJ Lekan and I would never have been able to share these new tunes he just hit me up with. Both from Bristol boys but featuring two of the UK's top emcees, Roots Manuva and Sway respectively, these both have an intriguing kinda Grime meets Swing flavour although in different ways. That in itself is pretty Bristolian whether they realised it or not. You may have already caught Stone's track on Toddla T's Fabriclive 47 mix whilst the Kners tune, that was produced by one our favourite Glastofarian's Ninth Letta and also features one time X Factor singer Nicole Jackson, has been getting some love from BBC 1Xtra.

Download: Stone feat Roots Manuva - Amen / alt link

Download: Kners feat Sway and Nicole Jackson - Back 2 Bizniss / alt link


Seems only fair to mention another two Bristol based folk seeing as their remixes have been blowing up our blog big time. Parker has had a crazy amount of love for his Where's My Monkey bootleg with 56,000 views on the YouTube video. He's just dropped a heavy funk fuelled breaks / Hip-hop project alongside Boca 45 under the name The Beekeepers. Their Bee Funk EP came out yesterday on Jalapeno Records and to follow up his Pony Remix that was riding high in the Hype Machine popular list for some time, Boson dropped us this wicked little skank n grind track he cooked up.

Download: Boson - Bag-o-Wire / alt link


Why stop there? Whilst we're back wondering the streets of Bristol later, we may well wander into Mr Wolf's and catch the Weapon Of Choice night that, amongst a hefty line up features one of our local favourites, Vertebrae, an excellent crew of whom two of their members have hit us up with some fresh tuneage. Ben One gives us some weighty instrumental Glitch hop whilst Awkward features alongside an all star cast on this track from Chicago / LA rapper Open Mike Eagle.

Download: Benjamin One - We Can Try (26 Letters) / alt link

Download: Open Mike Eagle feat Awkward, Rift Napalm, Venom and Nocando - Combustible Party Truck / alt link

Of course we couldn't do a post about Bristol without including this remix from the city's current golden boy.

Download: Riton & Primary 1 - Radiates (Joker Remix) / alt link

Hansel & Gretel meet MJ image by Banksy.

ROOTS MANUVA - DREAMY DAYS (SFA DUB)


Think it’s time we started reliving some inspirations and aspirations on this blog. Some of the tracks that have helped to shape the Chrome Kids musical outlook over the years. We move so fast now that some may take issue at how quickly we call classic on some of them, but those people will simply have to keep up.

Now Roots Manuva’s first album was a classic slice of Hip-hop, his second defined him and stands as a milestone in modern music. But it is actually the accompaniment to this album, the remixed package that we dig in for our first taste of history. The SFA remix of ‘Dreamy Days’ was the first track we heard off what is arguably a superior offering to ‘Run Come...’ and although it would be unfair to the rest to say it was our favourite, it does have a special settlement between our memory banks and earlobes.

We have nothing but respect for the fellas from Super Furry Animals. It was Gruff Rhys’ wanderings into the favelas of Brazil that first brought Baille Funk to our attention some years ago, and they have been constant supporters of the Welsh hip-hop scene over the years. Not to mention the fact that they constantly push the accepted boundaries within their own music, not scared to do as they please.

Over recent times they’ve shown more than a passing interest in the Dubstep scene, and it’s not really surprising when you listen to this slice of digital dub that came out back in 2002, just as the term Dubstep was gaining wider useage as the genre’s accepted label. Nowadays it would definitely settle comfortably under that umbrella, as would many of the other tracks off the ‘Dub Come Save Me’ album.

(YSI) Roots Manuva - Dreamy Days (SFA Dub)

Toddla T is one of the brightest and certainly bashiest of new digital beat bringers in the UK at the moment. Having provided 3 tracks for the latest Roots Manuva’s album Slime & Reason, and remixing the likes of Hot Chip, Jack Penate, Tricky and Roisin Murphy, not to mention working alongside Sinden, Detboi, Fake Blood, Drop The Lime and Herve on the Machines Don't Care project, it is not without a certain amount of excitement that we await his first album, currently under way in a secret laboratory somewhere in Sheffield. First signs are good with a hot new single just dropped called Manabadman which features Brum born bashment emcee Serocee on the vocals, firing off like Lieutenant Stitchie in his prime, whilst Trigganom (not to be confused with South West UK rapper Triggadon as I did briefly) bounces round the flipside riddim 1965 Dubplate like Tigger’s tail on a Space Hopper, grab it now.

(YSI) Toddla T feat. Trigganom - 65 Dubplate

Sign up to the mailing list on his website for news of the album and other updates www.toddlat.com and make sure you grab his fantastic free mixtape Ghettoblaster below hosted by Mr Versatile (tracklisting on his MySpace).

(Megaupload) Toddla T's Ghettoblaster #1

Been loving the new Roots Manuva single from his forthcoming Slime & Reason album 'Again & Again'. The single drops some time next week, a wicked little skanking summer tune, hopefully just in time for a late summer to begin!



Not too much worries if the sun doesn't shine though as this remix from Arctic Monkey's drummer Matt Helder's will get you bubbling hard whatever the weather, although it should probably only be played at night... through big muthaph**kin' speakers.

(YSI) Roots Manuva - Again & Again (Matt Helder Remix)

And we can't leave without dropping you this tough remix of 'Buff Nuff' by Milan based production trio 3 Is A Crowd too

(YSI) Roots Manuva - Buff Nuff (3 Is A Crowd Remix)